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The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is among the 10 most popular houseplants, reports the University of Illinois Extension -- and with good reason. Its low-maintenance habits are ideal for beginning growers because it forgives many lapses, and its bushy shape makes an attractive accent for offices and homes. The spider plant reproduces itself by creating smaller spiderettes that hang from long tendrils. When you are ready to turn these spiderettes into new potted plants, prune your spider plant to remove them. Take advantage of this pruning time to trim back straggling leaves and browned foliage, giving your plant a neater appearance and more compact size.

1

Place the plant pot on a work surface in front of you. Follow a tendril from a spiderette to the base of the spider plant. Snip off the tendril where it begins at the plant base. Clip off all the baby plants in the same manner.

2

Clip off tendrils from the base of the baby spider plants in the same manner. Discard the long tendrils and set the spiderettes aside.

3

Trim off any brown or withered leaves from the main plant by clipping them off at the base. If your plant is very large, reduce the size by cutting off outer leaves until it is a more manageable size.

4

Place the spiderettes on top of the soil in a plant pot. Secure the spiderette to the soil by pinning it with an opened paperclip. Water the soil and keep the pot in a warm place out of direct sunlight. The spiderettes will form roots that dig into the soil in a few weeks and will begin to sprout new leaves shortly afterward.

Things You Will Need

Sharp scissors

Planter

Potting soil

Paperclips

Tip

Spiderettes use up a lot of a plant's nutrients, so keep them trimmed off to keep your spider plant healthy.

About the Author

Working in sunny Florida, Anne Baley has been writing professionally since 2009. Her home and lifestyle articles have been seen on Coldwell Banker and Gardening Know How. Baley has published a series of books teaching how to live a frugal life with style and panache.